nless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past couple of years, avoiding some of the biggest blockbuster superhero films and their frequent post-credit stingers, you will no doubt have some knowledge of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (or The Avengers, if you’re across the pond). Kicking off the summer blockbuster season with a serious bang, some of my favourite Marvel characters join forces to save the Earth. Having Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jnr. and Chris Hemsworth occupy the same screen space could only possibly produce fantastic results. Directed by Joss Whedon, who gave us the amazing The Cabin in the Woods just weeks ago; he certainly has made a noticeable impression on my top five films of 2012 so far.

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble sees some of the most iconic comic book heroes, assembled by the incredibly badass Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) director of the peacekeeping agency SHEILD, team up against a common enemy. Staring Iron Man (Downey Jnr), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Hemsworth), and Captain America (Evans); together with relatively new editions Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Avengers are Earth’s greatest weapon against Thor’s brother; reoccurring enemy from the Nordic God’s own film, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Even though I’m sometimes prone to outbursts of hyperbole, no amount of positive adjectives can describe how wonderful Avengers Assemble is. Despite not been a fan of the previous incarnations of The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner is nothing short of brilliant. He may even top Iron Man’s, my all time favourite superhero, appearance. Faithful to traditional portrayals, thankfully “Hulk, smash!” comes into play although not delivered from who you may expect. Banner’s transformation into the ‘monster’ he is referred to throughout is superb. It’s difficult to criticise any of the special effects or CGI used as it is fairly faultless (if I’m really nitpicking, there are a couple of moments it looks a little off; but I’ll allow them that).

Not only does Avengers Assemble look awesome (partly because of the large amount of attractive people on the screen); it’s also funny, fast-paced and action packed. Clever one-liners are delivered with impeccable timing, sometimes accompanied by a genius bit of slapstick comedy, resulting in infectious laughter erupting through the audience. Running to almost two and a half hours, the film certainly doesn’t feel too long. There’s not a single moment it slows down; constantly entertaining, shiny and allocating a fair, reasonable amount of time to each character, it ticks all the boxes. Even Hiddleston as Loki continues to be an incredibly likeable bad-guy (it may be his great teeth).

On leaving the cinema after seeing Avengers Assemble I was dizzy with excitement. Not only does the film live up to every expectation I reserved for it, it succeeded in surpassing them at times. Seeing Marvel’s favourite characters clash before becoming allies is any fanboys’ biggest dream come true. My only concern is the film won’t be as accessible to people unfamiliar with the already well established characters (although there is a quick recap of the Captain America storyline), alienating some cinema goers. Still, the superheroes are so charismatic I’m sure they’d quickly win over even the most hardened of cynics.

UPDATE

Not only did I see Avengers Assemble in 2D, but last night I just so happened to see it in 3D. Even though I usually write off 3D as a gimmick, I really enjoyed the extra dimension. Not only did it create a lovely depth of field, it also made excellent scenes look just that little bit better. It also sharpened the image, making the shiny suits shinier. By no means essential, I’d only suggest watching Avengers Assemble in 3D if you loved it in 2D. I’ve also changed my score below, not necessarily because of the additional dimension; mainly because I just enjoyed it a little more on the re-watch.

Missed my pre-Avengers Assemble Marvel rundown? Check it out here to see how it competes with the other movies in the Marvel universe.

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20 Comments

When I began reading your review my fingers were tightly crossed. A bad word about the film and my hopes and expectations could have been crushed! I’m so relieved to read such a positive review. A great write-up

Thanks very much Angus! I know what you mean though, I was so scared when the film started that I wouldn’t like it. Thankfully it exceeded all of my expectations, though! Hope that you’ve enjoyed it too!

Your review is spot on :), I saw it yesterday and loved every second of it, I’d say it’s now my #1 fave Marvel movie, as for the hulk whedon done fantastic with him so in my opinion get wgedon in the directors chair for a standalone hulk movie and it will be great :).

Thanks very much for your comment, glad it’s got you excited! Can’t quite comprehend why we have it before you, I just hope I haven’t hyped it unduly. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Think I’ll have to see this again, hopefully in IMAX when the buzz has died down a little

Oh, where to begin?!
What a film. What a truly awesome, awe-inspiring epic. The cinematography in the final battle, switching from one hero to the next, made LOTR look like it was produced by someone holding their toys in front of the camera.
The one-liners and slapstick, as you say, make this the funniest film I have seen in years. I can’t remember the last time I heard the entire audience erupt that many times.
The characters interacted brilliant, and even the lesser parts (cop in the streets, man who finds Bruce in the barn) were fantastic.
The 3D (which I am not a fan of) was the best I have seen to date, which was made better by the fact I really did want to be in this movie.
Best performance? In my opinion, The Hulk, which is strange because I’m not a huge fan of his. Iron Man/Tony Stark was excellent, although personally I prefer the ever-earnest Captain America. Thor did his bit but the weakest link this time round, despite the enemy of the movie being from his universe. The opening scene with Scarlet Johansson was fanatastic, and I enjoyed her throughout, and even Hawkeye was entertaining (although he’s no Iron Man).
I’m pretty sure I’ll be seeing this one again very soon.

Great review Amy, I’m glad you enjoyed it too.

PS I too would like to see an option for us to give our marks out of ten.

This is not only my favourite film of 2012 but in my top five of all time! I was so impressed with this film, not only did it have an excellent cast but they gave the best performance of their individual characters. It was like seeing the best of their films in one, every one had their moment to shine but Mark Ruffalo was my personal favourite. We all know Robert Downey Jr. can perform as Tony Stark but it was exciting to see a new incarnation of Bruce Banner (third times the charm!)

It was a non-stop adrenaline rush for me, even after the credits had rolled I was so excited about seeing it again in 3D the following day. To be honest I could go right now and see it, I’m sure there’s more to see and appreciate in this massive film.

Great review, as always! I’m very impressed by Joss Whedon, this and The Cabin in the Woods are so far my favorites from 2012. Love Avengers – it was very entertaining and fun, though it’s not anything groundbreaking. Just pure cinematic fun with awesome actors.

I really like your review because it doesn’t give anything away. No need to recap the storyline in deatil. We can discover that by watching the film. Glad to see you enjoyed it. The amount of praise this film is getting is something akin to The Godfather and Citizen Kane. Alas I must wait until Friday until it’s released here. Can’t wait.

Thank you very much for your kind words, Mark. It really means a lot. It was hard to write about the film without giving any spoilers away, but it’s so great that I wanted people to experience my favourite bits for themselves rather than give the game away here. I hope your opinions haven’t suffered from all the hype – I will check out your review shortly!